Flour agitator for exposing flour to the action of alpha bleaching gas



J. J. MULVEY 1,758,713

FLOUR AGITATOR FOR EXFOSING FLOUR TO THE ACTION OF A BLEACHING GAS May13, 1930.

Filed July 19, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet l k. kt: k

||||L ll 7 D m 8 m UZ FEM IE2 INVENTOR L/Efin JMu/Iff ATTORNEY PatentedMay 13, 1930 UNEEE STATES PATENT OFFICE JOHN J. MULVEY, OF SEATTLE,WASHINGTON IEIibUR AGITATOR FOR EXPOSING FLOUR TO THE ACTION OF ABLEAGHING GAS Application filed July 19, 1927.

My invention relates to a flour agitator and for exposing flour to theaction of a bleaching gas. More particularly my invention relates to awhirlwind agitator used in the manufac- 5 turing of flour and to theprocess of aerating and bleaching said flour.

In themanufacture of flour from wheat a device with an agitator is usedin connection with the very last step of treatment. Before 10 coming tothe agitator the flour has been ground and is more or less in a dampenedcondition and heated due to the action of grinding. It is then put intoa device commonly known as an agitator wherein it is intermixed withchlorine gas or other bleaching agents.

The agitators heretofore constructed consist of a large drum which isfilled to a large extent and in which are placed paddles moving at arelatively low speed to thoroughly agitate and mix the fiour with ableaching gas such as chlorine gas admitted to said drum.

This device isslow in operation and is relatively costly to manufacture,the Weight of the flour agitated requiring the paddles to be made ofmetal. 1

A primary object of my invention is to provide an agitator in-which thepaddles will operate at a high rate of speed and have a method ofoperation which permits of their being constructed of wood.

A further primary object of my invention is to provide an agitator whichwill supply proper agitation of the flour in the presence of a bleachinggas such as chlorine gas, and which so exposes the flour to the said gasas to very materially reduce the amount of gas required. A furtherprimary object of my invention is to provide an agitator which operatesto cool the flour and to dry it as well.

A further primary object of my invention is to provide an agitator whichoperates upon each individual particle of the flour as contrasted withoperating upon a large mass of r flour.

Flour has the property of tending to choke the passageway through whichit passes.

Particularly is this true when in the heated.

and dampened condition (being wet when ground) 1n whlch it comes, during1ts passage through the varlous treatlng mecha- Serial No. 206,919.

nisms, to the agitator device, which constitutes the subject matter ofthis invention. Guarding against choking should be afforded even whenthedevice fails to operate, by reason of accident such as when thepaddles are stopped due to the slipping off or breaking of the belt andthe feeding ofthe flour to the device is continued for some time beforebeing shut off. A primary object of my invention is to provide anagitator which overcomes all these difiiculties, and one which will bemost economical in operation not only as respects quantity capable ofbeing handled and gas required, but also as respects power consumed.

The above mentioned general objects of my invention, together withothers inherent in the same, are attained by the device illustrated inthe following drawings, the same being a preferred exemplary form ofembodiment of my invention, throughout which drawings like referencenumerals indicate like parts:

Figure 1 is a View in front elevation of a device embodying my inventionwith parts broken away.

Fig. 2 is a View in end elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is an enlargedview of one of the paddles of said device, and

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view through said paddle.

Two separate compartments 5 and t5 hav ing partition 7 there-between areprovided. The two compartments are provided to give greater capacity offlour treated for the same driving mechanism. These compartments arepreferably vertically disposed and have glass doors or windows 8 thereinso that the operation upon the flour is in full view and readilyinspected. The paddle wheels 9, 10. 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 and 17 areall alike. The paddle wheels are arranged in each compartment, one abovethe other in offset relation as illustrated in Fig. 2 having the axes ofalternate paddles in parallel vertical planes. These paddle wheels aremounted respectively on shafts 18, 19, 20. 21, 22, 23, 24, 25 and 26,which are provided respectively with pulleys 27, 28, 29, 30, 31,

32, 33, 34 and 35, over which pulley belt 86' 2 operates. This beltengages the pulleys moving in an upwardly direction so that the paddleshave the direction indicated by the ar rows. The compartments 5 and 6have respectively inlets 37 and 38, and outlets 39 and 40. Eachcompartment is provided with a gas intake 41. The paddle wheels consistof arms 42 and 43, having wooden blades 44 mounted thereon.

The mode of operation of the device embodying my invention is asfollows:

The flour falls by gravity or other suitable conveyance through inlet38, for example,

into compartment 6 where it is acted upon by paddle wheels 9 and 10 anddrawn therebetween into the part 45 of the chamber 6, 45 representingthat part of compartment 6 disposed between paddle wheels 9 and 11constituting a local zone of agitation, these paddle wheels havingsufficient clearance so that there is no danger of their striking. Othersimilar zones 46, 47, 48, 49, 50 and 51, are disposed below, havingpassageways 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60 and 61 between said paddles. Enteringzone 45 the flour strikes upon paddle wheel 11 which is moving in adirection opposite to the oncoming flour in part 45, i. e., the flourentering through passageway 54. In other words, the action of paddlewheel 11 tends to reverse the direction of the flour and in this wisethoroughly agitatcs and separates the flour into its componentparticles. The two paddle wheels 9 and 10, it will be noted, tend to actas a valve in inducing the flour to the lower portions of thecompartment, i. e., the two paddle wheels 9 and 10 are moving togetheron their adjacent faces against which the flour impinges. The flourmeets the same condition in passing through passageways 55, 56, 57, 58,59, and60. Belt tightener 52 is provided to impart the necessary degreeof tightness to belt 36. Driv ing belt 53 in addition to belt 36 isprovided to supply driving means. The recess provided below each paddlewheel constitutes a local area of agitation or whirlwind center. It willbe noted that the direction of rotation of the paddle wheel below iscontrary to that of the paddle wheel directly above, and, therefore, theair in the various zones pockets, or sections below the paddle wheels isgiven a violent rotary movement that is exceptionally well adapted toimpart the agitation desired. Also it will be noted that relativelysmall quantities of the flour are operated upon at a time, that is, thequantity in each given pocket or recess below each paddle wheel isrelatively small in a given time, but it is there violently acted uponby the whirlwind movement of the air contained in the particular pocket.In this wise the gas is most efficiently brought into contact with eachand every particleof the flour which is thoroughly dried by the processas well, i. e., the mode of operation involves each particle of flour asit were, and operating upon it alone, thereby effecting not only thedesired agitation and exposure to the gas but also a drying efiect.Exposure, particle by particle, of the flour to the gas provides for themost even distribution and efficient use of said gas, reducing theamount required for a given quantity of flour by a third. In fact, abetter color is imparted to the flour with less gas, the exposure beingso much more thorough, as well as the aeration. If, for any reason, thepaddles are not caused to revolve, the flour will simply run through bygravity and all choliing avoided due to the preferred vertical positionof the machine.

Besides being used as an agitator, the device embodying my invention mayalso be used as a wheat scourer.

Obviously, changes may be made in the form, dimensions, and arrangementof the parts of my invention, without departing from the principlethereof, the above setting forth only a preferred form of embodiment.

I claim:

1. A device of the character described embodying a vertically disposedcompartment; flour inlet and outlet ports in the upper and lower endportions respectively of said compartment; a plurality of paddle wheelsrevolvably mounted in said compartment substantially in a plurality ofvertically disposed series in laterally off-set relation; means tooperate the paddle wheels in one vertical series in one direction andthose in the other vertical series in the opposite direction, the paddlewheels of one set rotating in opposite direction to that of the adjacentpaddle wheel of the other set; and a bleaching gas inlet port in saidcompartment.

2. In a device of the character described the combination of avertically disposed compartment; a plurality of paddle wheels revovablymounted in said compartment substantially in a plurality of verticallydisposed series in laterally offset relation; and means to operate thepaddle wheels in one vertical series in one direction and those of theother vertical series in the opposite direction, the paddle wheel of oneset rotating in opposite direction to that of the adjacent paddle wheelof the other-set.

In witness whereof I hereunto subscribe my name this 13th day of July,A. D. 1927.

JOHN J. MULVEY.

